…On being laid off

It’s probably the strangest meeting I’ve ever been a part of, and certainly one I’ll never forget.

Eleven of us from various groups sat nervously around a conference table at work while we waited for the meeting to start. Finally the executive walked in being tailed closely by an assistant.

He looked only down at a stack of colored folders he was carrying and took his place standing at the front of the room.

And as he spoke his voice was trembling with nervous energy.

“There’s no easy way to say this. Today is your last day of employment here…”

It was like being punched in the gut. The meeting went on for another 15 minutes, but I’m not really sure what was talked about after that.

My mind was on a loop over and over from “this seriously just happened?” to “what am I going to do now?” to “what is Cameron going to say?”

What happened AFTER I got laid off

There’s a saying in the athletic & military world that goes something like this:

Under pressure you don’t rise to the occasion. You sink to the level of your training. That is why we train so hard.

It’s true. In sports. In combat. In life. When things get tough you revert to your core operating system – the things so deeply ingrained in you they happen automatically.

Looking back at that day and the week immediately following being laid off I am grateful that I have trained at such a high level for so many years.

Spiritually

Mentally

Financially

Professionally

Maritally

I never envisioned training for such a seemingly negative obstacle. I always trained to make myself better and build the vision I’ve been working on for so long (6+ years at this point).

The difference training for High Performance made for me

First of all, I don’t share any of this out of pride. I’m not here to say “look how well I handled this” or anything like that.

In the moment I was freaked out (even still now). It didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing or that I was handling it well (whatever that means).

I share this to show you what a difference a long term devotion to high performance in several areas of my life has made in this trying time.

Spiritually: From the moment the writing was on the wall I never doubted for a second that this was God’s will for me. Joseph was thrown in a well by his own family, sold as a slave, and imprisoned as part of God’s plan for him to save Egypt from famine.

I’m blessed and grateful for the foundation a strong faith provided for this period (SO much more to say about this another time).

Mentally: Grounding my identity in the right things made getting laid off an obstacle to navigate instead of a personal crisis. Studying guys like Tony Robbins, Darren Hardy, and Jim Rohn taught me so many lessons that help me stay tough (in the right ways) and keep moving forward even when things aren’t going my way.

Financially: I’m blessed and grateful for Dave Ramsey’s teaching. Following Dave’s plan means getting laid off is just an “inconvenience” for my family, not a 5 alarm fire. We’re debt free (except the house) with months of living expenses in the bank.

And when the news came we could quickly scale our lifestyle down another 30% to make that runway even longer.

Professionally: People say starting a business is risky. I say depending on one company for your income is risky.

For years I’ve experimented with different businesses on the side. I’ve built enough skills that I was even able to close a consulting deal on the way home from being laid off. It seems fast, but it took years of hustle and practice to be able to do that. It sure made the drive home easier.

Maritally: I am incredibly blessed with a virtuous wife. There are no words to express what an amazing strength, encourager, and friend Cameron has been to me.

We love to dream together and work out the steps to making those dreams become real.

Thanks Tom! Things are going great and I’ll certainly keep you posted on cool new projects ;).

deanks

Deacon, I just happen to come across your site and read your story. It encourages me as I get started on a similar road. –I just finished outlining that passage in my personal study time. Looking forward to the Lord’s dynamic plan as I seek Him. Best, Dean Schreiber, AspirationsEnterprises